Forbidden Great Emperor | Xianxia, System, Fusion

Chapter 6 — Aftermath and Strategic Repositioning

“Three guards are dead. Gao is dead. And five men ran away.”

The servant's voice was low, but the urgency in it was unmistakable.

Gu Yan sat behind his desk, listening without interruption. The old merchant had already heard fragments of the story from the streets, yet he allowed the young servant to recount everything from beginning to end.

The servant described the bronze bell.

He spoke of the strange pressure that had forced the Black Iron Guards to struggle beneath its presence. He described the three men who had fallen to Lu Chen's saber, then the exchange between the young cultivator and Iron Hand Gao.

When he reached the final moment, his voice grew quieter.

“Gao was still standing. Then the bell rang again. He simply fell.”

Gu Yan slowly set down his teacup.

“Did you see a wound?”

“No, Elder Gu. Not even a cut.”

“And the others?”

“Five escaped. I saw them running down the street. None of them looked back.”

Gu Yan remained silent for a moment.

Outside his office, the commercial firm continued its usual business. Clerks called out shipment numbers, merchants negotiated prices, and the occasional cart rattled across the stone road. Yet the news had already begun changing the way people spoke.

For years, the Black Iron Guards had collected payments from traders moving through the surrounding routes. Their demands had been enforced by intimidation and the strength of their commander. Few people had dared to resist.

Now Gao was dead.

Gu Yan had expected Lu Chen to be troublesome for the gang. He had not expected the young cultivator to destroy its leadership in a single confrontation.

“Send someone to keep an eye on the northern street,” he instructed. “Do not approach Lu Chen's courtyard. I only want to know whether anyone comes looking for him.”

The servant bowed.

“And send word to the warehouse managers. No one is to make a sudden claim over the Black Iron Guards' former business.”

The servant hesitated.

“Should we wait for someone from the Regional City?”

Gu Yan looked toward the window.

“That is precisely why we should wait.”

The servant withdrew.

Gu Yan picked up his teacup again, but did not drink.

A dead commander left behind more than an empty position. He left territory, debts, connections, and people who might believe they had inherited the right to collect what he once controlled.

The question was not whether someone would notice Gao's death.

It was who would arrive first.

By noon, the story had spread throughout Azure Stone Town.

At the herb market, gatherers who had once surrendered part of their earnings to the Black Iron Guards now spoke openly about the gang's defeat. A few even laughed while discussing the five survivors who had fled.

Near the eastern gate, two merchants argued over whether the dead commander had truly been killed without a wound.

“You're telling me a bell killed him?”

“That's what the servant from Gu's firm said.”

“Then the servant should stop drinking before noon.”

“Go ask the people who watched it happen.”

The argument ended when an old trader passing by shook his head.

“I saw the body. No sword wound. No arrow. Whatever killed Gao, it wasn't something ordinary.”

The two merchants exchanged glances.

Beyond the market, the same story traveled through taverns, workshops, and roadside stalls. Some claimed the bronze bell had descended from the heavens. Others insisted it was an ancient treasure hidden inside Lu Chen's body.

The details changed with every telling.

The conclusion did not.

Iron Hand Gao was dead, and the Black Iron Guards had lost their hold over Azure Stone Town.

For ordinary residents, it meant the end of one source of oppression.

For merchants, it meant an opportunity—and a danger.

The trade routes that Gao had once controlled would not remain unattended forever.

“Someone will come to claim his territory.”

Gu Yan spoke those words after the door to the private tea room had closed.

Lu Chen sat opposite him, a cup of jasmine tea resting between his hands. He had arrived at the commercial firm shortly before noon, having no particular interest in listening to the town's growing collection of stories about himself.

He looked at the merchant.

“From the Regional City?”

“Most likely.”

Gu Yan poured another cup.

“Gao was not a true authority in the wider region, but he controlled enough trade to attract attention. He collected payments, managed several routes, and maintained connections with people who benefited from his position.”

He placed the teapot down.

“His death leaves those interests exposed. Someone may come to take over what he controlled. Two or three weeks would be a reasonable estimate, though I would not treat it as a promise.”

Lu Chen took a sip.

“Then they can come.”

Gu Yan studied him.

“You defeated Gao, but the people behind him may be different. A regional faction will not necessarily send one commander with eight guards. They may have a family, an organization, or cultivators whose strength exceeds anything this town has seen.”

“I understand.”

There was no bravado in Lu Chen's reply.

He knew the difference between defeating a local gang and confronting an established power. The latter possessed more than a single strong cultivator. It had resources, information, and people who could be replaced.

Gu Yan seemed satisfied with the answer.

He reached into his sleeve and placed two objects on the table.

A small iron key.

A folded map.

Lu Chen glanced at them.

“What are these?”

“The key opens Gao's hideout behind the grain depot. The map came from his desk.”

Gu Yan unfolded the map and turned it toward him.

Its surface showed the northern hills beyond Azure Stone Town. A narrow gorge had been marked in dark ink, with several lines indicating the surrounding slopes. Near the gorge, a small symbol had been drawn beside a handwritten note.

“A vein of raw Spirit Crystals,” Gu Yan explained. “Gao kept it hidden. According to his records, it lies in the outer hills of Ghost Mist Ridge.”

Lu Chen examined the markings.

“Low-rank?”

“Yes. Nothing extraordinary, but the vein appears to be accessible. Gao had people gathering crystals there without allowing the location to become known to other traders.”

“Why did he keep it secret?”

“Because a known mine attracts competitors. And because he could sell the crystals through intermediaries without drawing attention to their source.”

Gu Yan leaned back.

“He was not a clever man in every respect, but he understood the value of keeping a profitable resource to himself.”

Lu Chen studied the map more closely.

The marked gorge was approximately four miles north of town. The route was not far, though the surrounding terrain belonged to the outer reaches of Ghost Mist Ridge, where ordinary travelers rarely ventured without a reason.

He looked up.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

Gu Yan did not pretend to misunderstand the question.

“Because I would rather do business with the person who defeated Gao than wait for someone from the Regional City to take everything.”

He tapped the map.

“You control the mine. You gather the crystals. My firm will purchase everything you bring out at the prevailing market price.”

“And the people who come looking for it?”

“You deal with them.”

Lu Chen's eyes remained on the merchant.

“So you want a supplier without having to defend the mine yourself.”

Gu Yan smiled faintly.

“An honest description of a business arrangement is usually better than a beautiful lie.”

The old merchant took another sip of tea.

“My people are merchants, not an army. I can purchase goods, arrange transport, and negotiate with buyers. I cannot guarantee that my guards will defeat every cultivator who decides to seize a mine.”

“Then don't send them.”

“That is the intention.”

Lu Chen considered the proposal.

A steady buyer would make the crystals more useful. He would not need to spend time searching for traders or risk selling his resources to people who might report his movements to the wrong faction.

In return, he would bear the burden of protecting the source.

The arrangement was not without risk, but the terms were clear.

“Market price,” Lu Chen said.

“Market price.”

“No exclusive claim over the mine. Your firm buys what I choose to sell. I remain free to use whatever I need.”

Gu Yan nodded.

“Agreed.”

“And if someone comes to claim the mine?”

Gu Yan's smile faded.

“Then I will not pretend that I can protect you from them. That responsibility remains yours.”

Lu Chen folded the map.

“Deal.”

Gu Yan extended his hand.

Lu Chen accepted it.

Their agreement was brief. Neither man needed to pretend it was a matter of friendship.

Gu Yan had found a cultivator capable of protecting a valuable supply. Lu Chen had found a buyer who could turn raw resources into something useful without requiring him to remain in town.

For the moment, that was enough.

The iron key turned with a dry click.

Lu Chen pushed open the wooden door behind the grain depot.

The hideout was darker than the surrounding alley. A narrow window near the ceiling allowed a thin strip of daylight to fall across the floor. Dust covered the furniture, though several objects had been recently disturbed.

He stepped inside and closed the door.

Gao had used the place as a private storehouse.

A desk stood against the far wall. A wooden cabinet occupied one corner, and several sealed sacks rested beneath a shelf. There were no guards, no servants, and no signs that anyone had returned since Gao's death.

Lu Chen did not immediately approach the desk.

He examined the room first.

The cabinet contained ordinary clothing and a few personal items. The sacks held old equipment, spare weapons, and miscellaneous supplies. Nothing suggested a hidden formation or an elaborate defensive arrangement.

His attention settled on an iron chest beneath the desk.

Its lock was heavier than the others.

Lu Chen drew his saber and struck it once.

CLANG!

The lock broke.

He put away the weapon and lifted the lid.

The smell of old leather and metal rose from inside.

Several pouches lay beneath a folded cloth. Beside them were stacks of silver, a few small containers, and two worn leather scrolls.

Lu Chen picked up the first scroll.

Iron Skin Scroll.

The second bore another title.

Tendon Tempering Method.

He unrolled the first.

Its pages described a body-tempering practice that used repeated physical training and controlled Qi circulation to strengthen the body's outer resilience. The second focused on the tendons, teaching a cultivator to cultivate firmness without sacrificing the flexibility needed for movement.

Neither was an extraordinary inheritance.

They were practical methods, the sort of manuals a local gang might use to train its members.

Yet Lu Chen did not dismiss them.

A martial art's value was not determined solely by the reputation of its original owner. A simple method could still contain a useful principle. Sometimes, two ordinary inheritances held something that neither possessed alone.

He carefully rolled the manuals back up.

The System remained silent in his consciousness.

There was no need to activate anything yet. He had not studied the techniques sufficiently to decide what they were worth.

He placed the scrolls beside the pouches and examined the remaining contents.

The Spirit Crystals were stored in several separate bags. The silver was mostly in small ingots and loose pieces, likely used for ordinary transactions. There were also a few personal belongings that held little practical value.

Lu Chen gathered the useful items and packed them away.

Before leaving, he searched the desk.

A few scraps of paper had been left inside its drawers. Most contained ordinary records, but one showed a rough sketch of the northern hills. Another included several marks corresponding to the gorge on Gu Yan's map.

Gao had clearly used the hideout as a place to keep information about the mine.

Lu Chen studied the sketch briefly, then took it with him.

He checked the room one final time.

Nothing else appeared valuable.

He stepped outside and locked the door.

The hideout had yielded resources, silver, and two cultivation manuals. More importantly, it confirmed that Gao had been directly involved in managing the hidden mineral vein.

The map was not merely a rumor.

The mine existed.

Lu Chen did not return to his rented courtyard.

There was little reason to remain in Azure Stone Town. His name had become a subject of conversation, and the five surviving guards from Gao's attack might already have carried news beyond the town's borders.

He had no interest in waiting for someone to test the truth of those rumors.

The northern gate was busy when he passed through it.

A pair of merchants were loading sacks onto a mule cart. A herb gatherer was arguing with a gate attendant over the weight of his basket. Beyond them, the road narrowed between low hills before disappearing into the distant mountain range.

A few people recognized Lu Chen.

Their conversations quieted.

One man lowered his head. Another stepped aside to let him pass. A young gatherer watched him with open curiosity, while an older merchant studied the iron saber at his waist.

Lu Chen paid them no attention.

He continued north.

The farther he traveled, the less frequently he encountered people. The cultivated land gave way to rough slopes and scattered trees. The familiar sounds of the town gradually disappeared behind him.

The gorge marked on the map lay beyond a bend in the hills.

By the time Lu Chen reached it, the sun had moved past its highest point.

The entrance was narrow, partly concealed by hanging ivy and moss. A shallow stream ran nearby, its water disappearing between two dark rocks.

He compared the surrounding terrain with the markings on Gao's map.

The ridge matched.

The stream matched.

And the narrow opening between the stone walls was exactly where Gao had marked the entrance.

Lu Chen approached cautiously.

He brushed aside the ivy.

Behind it, a dark passage extended into the cliff.

A faint spiritual radiance glimmered deeper within.

Spirit Crystals.

He entered the passage.

The air grew cooler as he moved farther inside. The tunnel opened into a natural cavern, where pale veins of mineral light ran through the stone walls.

Raw Spirit Crystals were embedded in the rock.

Some were small and rough, while others formed larger clusters beneath the uneven ceiling. Their faint radiance illuminated the cavern with a quiet, otherworldly glow.

Lu Chen stood still for a moment.

Gao had kept this place hidden for a reason.

Even a low-rank mineral vein could provide a steady supply of cultivation resources. For an independent cultivator without the backing of a clan or sect, such a discovery was valuable.

He walked deeper into the cavern, examining the walls and the narrow passages branching away from the main chamber.

There were signs of previous mining.

Small cuts marked the stone near several exposed clusters, and a few discarded tools lay beside the wall. Gao's people had gathered crystals here, but they had not exhausted the vein.

The mine was still intact.

Lu Chen returned to the entrance and examined the surrounding rocks.

The opening was too easy to discover if someone knew where to look. He gathered fallen branches, stones, and hanging vegetation, gradually concealing the passage until it no longer stood out from the surrounding cliff.

It would not withstand a determined search.

But it would discourage casual discovery.

He then returned inside.

The cavern would serve as a temporary cultivation ground. Its isolation, natural shelter, and concentration of Spirit Crystals made it far more suitable than the rented courtyard in town.

He placed his pack on a flat section of stone and looked toward the glowing mineral veins.

The town behind him was already changing.

Gao was dead. The Black Iron Guards had collapsed. Gu Yan had become his trading partner, and the Zhao Clan's former interests in the region might soon attract attention from stronger factions.

Those matters could wait.

For now, Lu Chen needed to strengthen himself.

He had acquired two new cultivation manuals, found a hidden source of Spirit Crystals, and secured a place where he could study without being disturbed.

He sat on the stone slab and looked toward the depths of the cavern.

“Let's see what these two methods can become.”

The words were quiet.

But the path ahead was beginning to take shape.

Outside, ivy and moss concealed the entrance to the hidden cavern.

Inside, the faint light of the Spirit Crystals shone against the ancient stone.

Lu Chen closed his eyes.

His next stage of cultivation had begun.